The Kerala Human Rights Commission recently registered a case in Kozhikode concerning the disruption of other trains for the Vande Bharat Express. In response, the Southern Railway has asserted that no train schedules were compromised for Vande Bharat trains in Kerala. They emphasized that the speed of certain trains was increased to maintain punctuality.
According to the Railway, “No detention of any train is being done to give preference for running of Vande Bharat trains.” They provided examples of schedule adjustments, stating, “The scheduled departure time of Venad Express from Thiruvananthapuram Central was rescheduled from 5.15 am to 5.25 am but its arrival time at Ernakulam and Shoranur stations remains the same.”
The Railway noted that the changes are part of the recently publicized timetable, and they attributed some delays to adverse weather conditions in October. They claimed a punctuality rate of 100% last week for several trains.
However, passengers have a different perspective. Ajitha Kalavoor, a regular passenger, expressed her concerns about delays and the impact on daily commuters. She mentioned that some passenger trains now wait for Vande Bharat, leading to longer travel times. She also pointed out the challenges faced by passengers who miss connecting buses due to train delays.
K J Paul Manvettom, President of the All Kerala Railway Passengers Association, explained that the Railway’s claims may relate to buffer times, but for commuters with intermediate stops, delays can still be inconvenient.
In summary, while the Southern Railway insists that Vande Bharat hasn’t affected other train schedules, passengers argue that the ground reality paints a different picture. Delays and disruptions continue to be a concern for those relying on the railway system.
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